1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to networking systems, and more particularly to a system and method for managing a switch within a wide area network (WAN).
2. Description of the Related Art
Internet or WAN service providers are operating in a crowded marketplace where cost effectiveness is critical. Operational costs present a significant challenge to service providers. Cumbersome, manual provisioning processes are the primary culprits. Customer orders must be manually entered and processed through numerous antiquated back-end systems that have been pieced together. Once the order has been processed, a truck roll is required for onsite installation and configuration of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), as well as subsequent troubleshooting tasks.
Presently, the delivery of firewall services requires the deployment of a specialized pieces of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) to every network to be protected. This model of service delivery creates an expensive up-front capital investment, as well as significant operational expenses that are associated with onsite installation and management of thousands of distributed devices. The results are service delivery delays, increased customer start-up costs and/or thinner service provider margins.
The slow and expensive process of deploying firewall services cuts into margins and forces significant up-front charges to be imposed on the customer. In order to be successful in today's market, service providers must leverage the public network to offer high-value, differentiated services that maximize margins while controlling capital and operational costs. These services must be rapidly provisioned and centrally managed so that time-to-market and, more importantly, time-to-revenue are minimized. Traditional methods of data network service creation, deployment, and management present significant challenges to accomplishing these goals, calling for a new network service model to be implemented.
Enterprise customers are increasingly demanding cost-effective, outsourced connectivity and security services, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and managed firewall services. Enterprise networks are no longer segregated from the outside world; IT managers are facing mounting pressure to connect disparate business units, satellite sites, business partners, and suppliers to their corporate network, and then to the Internet. This raises a multitude of security concerns that are often beyond the core competencies of enterprise IT departments. To compound the problem, skilled IT talent is an extremely scarce resource. Service providers, with expert staff and world-class technology and facilities, are well positioned to deliver these services to enterprise customers.
What is needed is a system and method for providing managed network services that are customizable for each customer's need. Furthermore, what is needed is a system and method for controlling such managed network services.